Business Admin, HR, Recruitment and Finance - Health Records Clerk
Business Admin, HR, Recruitment and Finance - Health Records Clerk
Amber
Health records clerks keep people's medical records up to date. They mostly work in hospitals and GP clinics. Most records are kept on computer, but some could be in paper files. The records include important information about the illnesses and treatments patients have had. Doctors and nurses check the medical records when they are treating patients and clerks need to ensure this information is up to date and accurate.
- Create, check, update, and store patient records
- Record illnesses and treatments using a system of codes known as clinical coding
- Record patient admissions, transfers, discharges, and deaths
- Transfer details from paper records into computer systems
- Collect statistics like admission numbers, discharges and waiting lists
Medical records clerks might be based in a hospital and could work in a clinic, a ward, the main reception area, or the accident and emergency department. Some work in a community health clinic or GP surgery. The job usually involves spending a lot of time working at a computer and on the phone. It can be a noisy environment.
Medical records clerks work about 37 hours a week if they are full-time. This is often during normal office hours, but jobs in places such as GP clinics, may include some evenings or Saturday mornings. Accident and emergency clinics are open 24 hours a day, so jobs there involve working shifts. Some medical records clerks can also work part-time.
Starting salary: £15,000
Experienced salary: up to £24,000
There are no set exams that you have to do to become a medical records clerk. Some employers will want you to have some GCSEs or qualifications, however you may be able to access this role via a supported internship or employers may be more flexible. You could also apply for an apprenticeship. If you have an EHCP you may be able to apply under the DfE exemption which allows the apprentice to use Entry level 3 English and Maths qualifications. The apprentice would have to be component enough to successfully achieve all other aspects of the apprenticeship requirements, become occupationally competent and achieve Entry Level 3 in English and Maths before the end of their apprenticeship.
College - you could start off with a Level 1 Certificate for IT Users or level 1 Business Administration if you have no formal qualifications